Nogales Unified District (4457)

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Nogales, Arizona - 11 schools

An equity score of 34/100 ranks Nogales Unified District (4457) #228 of 437 districts in Arizona (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $9,157 per pupil, Nogales Unified District (4457) ranks #537 of 633 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending (Arizona districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,687
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$9,157
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Nogales Unified District (4457) operates 11 public schools serving 5,687 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Arizona. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 2 high, 2 middle, 2 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Santa Cruz County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,157 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 633 Arizona districts by per-pupil spending. See how Arizona compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 15.7% local, 56.8% state, and 27.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 34/100, ranked #228 of 437 in Arizona against a state average of 38, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 400.2:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 47.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 99.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% White, 0.2% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School, with a diversity index of 2.4/100.

Its largest campus is Nogales High School, enrolling 1,774 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pierson High School, at 119 students, a 15x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Nogales High School accounts for 31.1% of all Nogales Unified District (4457) student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Nogales Unified District (4457)-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Nogales Unified District (4457) school enrollment varies 15× across entities

Nogales Unified District (4457) school enrollment ranges from 119 students (lowest) to 1,774 students (highest), a spread of 1,655 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Nogales Unified District (4457) reports 69.1% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Nogales Unified District (4457) student-counselor ratio is 400:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Nogales Unified District (4457) chronic absenteeism rate is 47.3% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

27.5%
Federal
56.8%
State
15.7%
Local

Funding Equity

34
Equity Score
228 / 437
State Rank
38
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 11 schools in Nogales Unified District (4457).

Hispanic or Latino 99.4%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 1.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Nogales Unified District (4457)'s schools, below the Arizona average of 47.2.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School 2.4
  2. 2 Robert Bracker Elementary 2.2
  3. 3 Nogales High School 2.0
  4. 4 Nusd Online 2.0
  5. 5 A J Mitchell Elementary School 1.4

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
400.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
47.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Nogales Unified District (4457)

School Enrollment
Nogales High School
1,774
Desert Shadows Middle School
784
Wade Carpenter Middle School
547
Francisco Vasquez De Coronado Elementary School
508
Lincoln Elementary School
421
Mary L Welty Elementary School
381
Challenger Elementary School
380
A J Mitchell Elementary School
301
Robert Bracker Elementary
272
Nusd Online
209
Pierson High School
119

How Nogales Unified District (4457) Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Arizona districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Buckeye Elementary District (4269) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Humboldt Unified District (4469) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc. (90878) Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Madison Elementary District (4270) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Littleton Elementary District (4278) Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Nogales Unified District (4457)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Arizona

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Nogales Unified District (4457)

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Mesa Unified District (4235) →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Nogales Unified District (4457)?

Nogales Unified District (4457) has 11 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 5 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 5,687 students.

How much does Nogales Unified District (4457) spend per student?

Nogales Unified District (4457) spends $9,157 per student. The district has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #228 in Arizona.

What is the demographic composition of Nogales Unified District (4457)?

Nogales Unified District (4457) students are 99.4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% White, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Nogales Unified District (4457)?

Nogales Unified District (4457) has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #228 out of 437 districts in Arizona.